Meaning & use

serpent

noun·Advanced

A snake, especially a large one; also used as a symbol of evil, deceit, or temptation in literature and religion.

See it in a sentence

A serpent slid silently through the tall grass near the riverbank.

In the story, the serpent tempted the villagers with promises of endless wealth.

A note on using this word

Serpent is a literary or symbolic word for snake, common in religious texts and fiction rather than everyday speech.

Words with a similar meaning

snake

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “serpent”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.